Cult theory emerges following Las Vegas massacre

Evil Stephen Paddock could have been part of a twisted killing cult which drove him to murder dozens of innocent people in the worst mass-shooting in US history, America's National Enquirer is sensationally reporting today.

The gambling addict, who was the sole perpetrator of the savage October 1 massacre, had few social and family connections, apart from his girlfriend, Marylou Danley, who told FBI investigators she had no idea what he was planning.

According to experts, the lonely 64-year-old was a prime target for a cult which possibly led him to meticulously plan the shootings from the 32nd floor of The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Vegas, which killed 59 people and injured 500 more.

The US report that is making waves today.

National Enquirer

Dmitri Oster, a New York-based clinician and criminal profiler, said: "If you look at other death cults, what propels people to join is a search for belonging to a movement larger than oneself. Paddock was isolated, living in a retirement home, without many family or social ties. These are the sort of people who fall victim to cults."

Dr George Simon, a psychologist and author of ‘In Sheep’s Clothing’, added that Paddock’s flaws, especially his gambling, made him easy pickings for a cult leader.

"They target these folks. They’re prime patsies — people who are looking for ways to redeem themselves, and would find it too painful to admit their own character defects.

"Instead, they get to blame a scapegoat — some evil entity, society or empire — that the group leader serves up."